


my thoughts will echo your name (until i see you again)

by laserbrain



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Enchanted Forest (Once Upon a Time), F/M, Lieutenant Killian Jones/Princess Emma Swan, Song: Enchanted (Taylor Swift), Taylor Swift singlehandedly put this in my brain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:14:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24427822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laserbrain/pseuds/laserbrain
Summary: She pulled her head back to look at him, curiously, "Have we met before?""Well, that depends," Killian tilted his head, "do you believe in infinite possibilities? Universes, if you will.""Maybe.""I do," his voice came out in a whisper, "There's something familiar about this, Emma. Do you feel it?"
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan
Comments: 6
Kudos: 62





	my thoughts will echo your name (until i see you again)

She couldn't say she had been listening to her mother and father's conversation, even if she was in the same room. From the little that she did pay attention to, she gathered there must have been another victory. Big or small, it didn't matter. Her parents always loved a good party.

Emma did her best to not involve herself in those affairs if she could help it. Most of the time, she could.

In all of her twenty-two years, the Princess was never needed for much.

In her book, a victory just meant another battle, and another battle was equal to more lives lost.

Even a peaceful kingdom had to have its ways of protecting that peace.

It never sat right with her.

None of that mattered now since she was standing in the ballroom; the party already in full swing.

Countless faces demanded her attention. Members of the nobility, friends of her parents, and, of course, suitors.

Or at least men who were almost certainly after the crown. 

She loved her parents, but if she had to choose one thing about their parenting that she admired the most, it would be their insistence that she marry for love. They had been through their fair share of hell, and it was their job to make sure their daughter never experienced the same.

It didn't stop conniving men from trying.

The princess thing to do would be to engage in light conversation, accept a dance, and send them on their way.

But she was no ordinary princess.

Instead, she would fake a smile, narrow her eyes, and tell them to get lost.

The Duke she was speaking to, Rowan, was never one to take the hint. He always gave her the sense that he was up to something. His eyes continually shifting as if he was about to be caught.

For what, she didn't know.

Engaged in a mind-numbing conversation about the state of the duchy he belonged to, Emma glanced around the room, desperately seeking an acceptable escape route.

It was then she saw him.

A new face in the crowd of mere acquaintances.

To her surprise, he had already been looking back. The stranger with dark hair, and piercing blue eyes, dressed in the uniform of their Royal Navy.

With a half-smirk, he shot her a wink. Her eyebrows furrowed.

Did she know him? She didn't think so.

She would have remembered a face like his.

"Princess, did you hear me?" Rowan's voice broke her thoughts, "I asked if you would like to dance."

Emma turned to him, about to open her mouth to decline, when a new voice cut in. 

The sailor she had locked eyes with bowed before her, his voice coated in a polished accent, "Princess Emma, it's been quite some time."

Usually, she would agree, except she had no idea who he was. A small smile played on his lips, his eyes were mischievous.

Her gut told her to play along.

"It certainly has," she replied without missing a beat, "It's wonderful to see you again, Lieutenant." 

She thanked the stars that she was familiar with insignia.

The Duke must have sensed he was unwanted, Emma could hear the agitation in his voice when he spoke up again, "I suppose I should leave you to it, then. It's been lovely, Princess."

"I wish I could say the same," she mumbled under her breath before turning to the man before her.

A full smile graced his face, "I hope you don't mind. You looked like you could use a rescue."

She arched an eyebrow, "I can rescue myself, thank you very much."

"I suspect that's true," he laughed, "but isn't this more fun?"

Emma rolled her eyes, "Are you going to tell me who you are?"

"Lieutenant Killian Jones, at your service," he exaggerated a salute, "Now, I don't mean to be rude, Princess, but aren't you supposed to be...princessing?"

"I don't mean to be rude, sailor, but aren't you supposed to be sailing?"

"In due course," Killian nodded. "I noticed that you haven't danced with a single poor soul tonight, why is that?"

"I'm not one for dancing," Emma shrugged.

"That's because you haven't danced with me, yet." 

Killian held out a hand. 

There was something about the way his eyes were holding hers that made her take it without thinking. She let him lead her out to the dance floor, smoothly transitioning into a waltz.

She pulled her head back to look at him, curiously, "Have we met before?"

"Well, that depends," Killian tilted his head, "do you believe in infinite possibilities? Universes, if you will."

"Maybe."

"I do," his voice came out in a whisper, "There's something familiar about this, Emma. Do you feel it?"

From the way her name rolled off his tongue, it would be a lie to say she didn't. The second her eyes met his from across the room, she felt like it wasn't the first time she had seen them. They exchanged words with ease and danced together like they had done it a million times before.

There was something divine about their immediate connection.

Maybe she did believe in infinite possibilities.

If any of hers involved him, she wanted to.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she nodded. 

He smiled, "Then, I believe we may have crossed paths before, maybe not here, but certainly someplace else."

They continued the rest of the dance in silence. As she turned in Killain's arms, she could feel her parents' eyes trained on her and her dance partner.

Snow could barely contain her grin, and David caught her eye with a nod. 

She felt her cheeks begin to burn, but she wasn't ready to part with him yet.

She definitely didn't want to have to dance with someone else, either.

As the song ended, they bowed to one another. Emma dropped her voice to a whisper, "Watch me, but wait a few minutes before you follow."

With a crooked smirk, Killian nodded, "If the lady insists."

Weaving through the crowd, she slipped through one of the doors she knew no one ever paid attention to. One Killian could surely follow through without being noticed.

The door led onto her favorite terrace in the entire castle. From where it was situated, the whole back half of the property was visible. She especially loved it at night when the gardens below were dimly illuminated by the moonlight. 

"Now, that's what I call a view," Emma startled at the sound of Killian's voice, he laughed, "Sorry, Princess. I didn't mean to give you a start."

"You can call me by my name," she insisted.

"As you wish," Killian replied, "So, _Emma_ , what is it that you would like to know about me?"

She raised an eyebrow, "What makes you assume I want to know _anything_ about you?"

"You're a bit of an open book, love."

"Okay, Killian Jones," she challenged, "You don't seem like the military type, even if the uniform suits you. What are you doing in it?"

Killian smiled, "I'll have you know I'm quite the Lieutenant."

"But?"

"But," Killian eyed her for a moment, "it doesn't provide me the freedom I'd like to have on the ocean. It's always one objective after another, never enough time to just enjoy it."

"Why did you join?" She questioned.

"It was my brother's idea," Killian looked down, "We grew up poor, just the two of us. The Navy was quite literally our ticket out. Besides, your father is a great king to sail for."

Emma pursed her lips, "What would you do if you weren't in the Navy anymore?"

Killian's eyes lit up, "Exactly what I've been denied by it. I'd purchase my own vessel and set sail. Just me and the vast sea. Unless I found someone worthy of accompanying me, of course."

"Worthy?" Emma quipped, "I thought I was the only royalty here."

"A captain is the king of his vessel, is he not?" Killian replied before turning the conversation to her, "How about yourself? If you could leave the title behind tomorrow, what would you do?"

She must have thought about it a million times by now, but no one had ever really asked her what she wanted. No man had ever been interested in what she would do _without_ the crown.

As for her parents, maybe they feared she would say she wanted nothing to do with the responsibilities that came with her bloodline.

That was the furthest thing from the truth.

But there Killian was, allowing her to express herself aloud. 

"I don't think I would leave the title behind, but I do want to see what's out there," she spoke softly, "How am I ever supposed to lead a kingdom without any life experience? These grounds hardly provide an adventure."

"I think you would be a bloody brilliant ruler. You'd certainly be the most beautiful," he winked.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Lieutenant," she chuckled. 

"Shame," Killian's eyes softened as he drew in close enough for her to see his eyelashes flutter, "You do make a fair point about exploration, but have you ever considered sailing?"

"No, I hadn't," she replied coolly as if she was unaware of how close his face was to hers.

"And now?" 

Emma smiled as she leaned in even closer, "Now, I'm looking at a certain sailor who you could say has broadened my horizons."

"Beautiful and clever," Killian laughed, "a woman after my own heart."

A magnetic force pulled them towards one another, but before they could meet in the middle, the terrace door creaked open. They jumped apart.

"Killian," an older man in a uniform matching Killian's stepped onto the terrace.

"Liam?" Killian's face twisted in confusion, "How did you know where I went off to?"

Liam laughed, "You forget, I've always been good on keeping tabs on you, little brother." He then turned to Emma with a polite bow, "Princess, I'm terribly sorry for the interruption, but I'm afraid I have to steal him away. We're to embark on our journey early tomorrow morning."

"You're leaving _tomorrow_?" Emma heard her voice raise in pitch.

"Liam, just a moment," Killian nodded to his brother, Liam returned inside, "I'm sorry, love. I thought you knew."

"I didn't." Emma gaped, "When will you be back?" 

Killian locked his gaze on hers, "I'm not sure, but I will be. I promise you that."

"I don't take promises lightly," she said, chin raised.

Killian flashed a brilliant grin, "Neither do I."

Reaching under the collar of his uniform, he pulled a braided chain from around his neck, a small ring affixed to it, "Emma, this is all I have left of my mother. It means a great deal to me. Do you think you could hang onto it for me? I would despair if it were lost at sea."

He wasn't asking for a favor. She knew the necklace was meant to be a token of his promise to return. Emma swallowed, "Of course."

He stepped closer, placing his chain around her neck, "There's not a day that will go by that I won't think of you."

She let the hint of a smile grace her face, "Good."

He lifted her hand to his lips before disappearing back into the castle.

* * *

A month came and went with no news. Emma knew this because she asked her father every day. David would tease her, saying she should have gone with them if she liked Killian so much while Snow would smile, ensuring her daughter that her sailor would return in due time. 

Was he _her_ sailor, though? He had given her his necklace with his mother's ring attached, but it had been one night. They didn't speak of such a thing. Though, if he had asked her to get on a boat with him right then and there, she would have said yes. It had to count for something.

Her gut told her that Killian Jones was the one she was always supposed to find.

She could only hope he felt the same way.

As more time ticked by, she noticed her father's face growing tenser by the day. At the two month mark, she asked him how long the voyage was supposed to be.

With downcast eyes, he murmured, "Not this long."

A few days later, she went downstairs, only to hear her parents speaking in hushed tones. Her mother looked up at her with red-rimmed eyes. 

"What's wrong?" Emma's eyes flicked to her father, her heart picking up speed in her chest.

David closed his eyes, "One of our ships was found wrecked by another crew I sent out on a different voyage. It's believed the ship they uncovered was caught in a storm."

"A shipwreck?" She narrowed her eyes, "The ship Killian was on?"

David nodded solemnly.

Snow stood and wrapped her arms tightly around Emma's shoulders, "We are so sorry, Emma."

No, it was impossible.

"Mom," her voice cracked, "he has to come back. He _promised_."

Snow pulled back, taking Emma's face between her hands, "I know, honey, and that's why we can _never_ give up hope. I pray that by some chance, he's out there somewhere, making his way back to you."

There was no way to be sure.

_We may have crossed paths before, maybe not here, but certainly someplace else._

The words he had said to her the night they met echoed in her mind.

Maybe in one of their infinite possibilities, she was holding him tight.

Just not this one.

She doesn't know how long she cried.

* * *

After news of the shipwreck, Emma was more vocal to her parents about her desire to embark on adventures of her own. She would have no more of sitting inside the castle walls.

It's what Killian would have wanted for her, but more importantly, what she wanted for herself.

Her mother and father agreed with enthusiasm. 

That was exactly how she found herself engaged in a heated practice duel with her father four months later. She may have been a natural, but David was an expert. 

Her dad proved to be a relentless opponent as they raced throughout the grounds. Her legs grew heavy, her arms burned with fatigue.

David disarmed her. 

"I think you would fare better if you kept your eye on the blade, love."

The voice stopped her dead in her tracks. She could have sworn the entire world stopped turning.

It could have only belonged to one person.

A dead man.

Maybe she was going insane.

Eyes wide, she turned slowly towards the sound. 

His hair was slightly longer, but Killian Jones stood on the patio in civilian garb, the biggest smile she had ever seen on his face.

She turned to David, "Do you see him too?"

David let out a warm laugh, "Yup, he's there unless we're both hallucinating."

Her feet took off before her brain could catch up.

She collided with him with such force he almost fell over. Her hands clutched at his back, moving to his head.

He was real. 

"You are not supposed to be here," she murmured, grabbing his face with both hands.

Killian arched an eyebrow, "And break my promise? That would be bad form, love."

Emma laughed with relief before pulling his face down to hers.

She had dreamed of kissing him hundreds of times in the previous six months. Each time, she would wake with an empty heart.

Some things are even better in real life. She found kissing Killian was one of them.

Finally. 

Breathless, they broke apart. She turned to David, "Did you know?"

Her father nodded, "We had our suspicions, so I deployed search parties. Contacts in other kingdoms overheard pirates bragging about destroying a ship that belonged to our fleet." He eyed Killian lightly, "In waters they weren't supposed to be in."

Killian shrugged, "We might have taken a small detour."

Killian went on about the storm they saw approaching in the distance, and how they tried to avoid it. That plan came with pirates who began to blow holes in their ship. Liam ordered his crew overboard with the sextant the King had sent them to retrieve. A nearby island was their saving grace, surely they'd all be dead without it. They survived five months before a search party found them.

She barely heard what he said. All she was able to focus on was the sound of his voice ringing through her ears. 

Just a few minutes prior, she thought she'd never hear it again.

David excused himself, leaving the two of them alone. 

"Oh," Emma exclaimed, realization hitting her, "this belongs to you."

She went to remove the necklace he had given her, but Killian's hands stopped her, "Keep it, love. It looks far better on you." 

"I thought you were dead," she sighed, pulling him close, resting her head on his chest.

A small bout of laughter erupted from him, "I thought you would find someone else."

She pulled her head back to meet his eyes, "Well, there was a sailor who put this idea about the ocean in my head. All other offers never stacked up."

Killian pulled his face into the half-smirk she had grown to love, "I take it you still want to go with him?"

She nodded.

"Just say the words, darling."

Emma smiled, "Tomorrow, then."

Killian's eyes lit up like they were holding forever inside them. She supposed they were.

"Tomorrow it is."

**Author's Note:**

> Now, that was fun.
> 
> Thank you, everyone!


End file.
